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• Beast Slide (Down-Toward + Hard Punch) has less active frames, as a result the whole animation time is shorter. Also, his hittable box during the recovery of this move has been increased.

• His Forward Hop (Toward + 3x Kick) has more grounded frames of animation during start up, making him easier to grab out of it.

Special Moves

• The hittable box of his Beast Roll has been widened in size while rolling around, and the distance traveled after having it blocked has been altered. Distance on recovery from a blocked Beast Roll is now Light Punch and EX longest. Medium Punch, midlength, Hard Punch, shortest. So it is necessary to plan which one to use at which distance more so than it is now.

• EX Backstep Rolling's (Rainbow Ball) forward distance has been reduced a little, so it's harder to escape from the corner. It is still possible to move forward and back based on joystick movement, though.

• EX Electricity has much faster start up now, so it's easier to use.

Abel

• 2nd hit of Abel's Crouching Hard Punch has a smaller hitbox, both upward and downward.

• Tornado Throw damage reduced.

• Roll lost some of its hit invincibility at the end of it, making it easier to punish. There was no change to the recovery frames.

• Ultra 1 had a 10% damage reduction. Ultra 1's new damage would range from 309-450. In SSF4 it was 343-500.

• Ultra 2 10% damage reduction, slower startup, super armor gets removed when Abel starts to run forward and there's a longer recovery time when you cancel out of it. New damage totals for Ultra 2 should range from 295-440. In SSF4 these were 328-480.

• Opponent can no longer do a quick get up after Makoto connects with a Hard Punch or EX Oroshi (Overhead Chop). It's more useful now in resets and wake up situations.

• Fukiage (Upwards Punch) when Makoto's arm is fully extended, the hittable box from her chest up has been almost completely removed. Downward attack box has been extended as well, so there are now almost no situations where it trades or is stuffed. It still can't hit grounded opponents, though. The start up for all versions has been improved so it's more useful than it is now.

• EX Tsurugi (Axe Kick) is now like Cammy's EX Cannon Strike, in that it can be done very low to the ground, i.e. an Instant Axe Kick. It takes practice, but since it is a 2-hit special that makes grabs whiff and hits as an overhead, it'll be more interesting to use in offensive/defensive situations.

• Ultra 1 damage distribution has been changed. It still does the same total damage, but you will see the difference during combo damage and damage scaling based on life left. Apparently, this should result in it doing more damage.

• Ultra 2 has a faster startup time making it easier to counter Fireballs with.

Other Stuff

• Makoto's stamina is now 1,000, which is the average stamina rating in the game.

• Forward and back dash are faster, total animation frames were decreased.

• Now a combo such as a Level 1 Hard Punch Hayate (Dash Punch), Focus Attacl Dash Cancel, Crouching Light Kick (and other stuff) into Light Punch Hayate is possible, because of the changes to her Dash speed. Mixing this in with her Grab and Choke (Karakusa) makes this a powerful grab or hit tool.

E.Honda

Special Moves
• Light Punch Headbutt now has lower body invincibility instead of upper body invincibility, so it will be harder to utilize it as anti air.

Ultras
• Ultra 1 has projectile invincibility until the last active frame.
• Ultra 2's command has been changed to two half-circle backs from a 720 motion. It's easier to get it out now. Also, while its range increased, it starts up in 2f so it's possible to dodge it after screen freeze.

Other stuff
• During backdash, Honda is now considered airborne right after invincibility ends.

Overall
• He had solid skills that builds high damage, so he had overall damage decrease. His basis of strength has not changed, so he can fight as he does now.

Gouken

Normal Moves
• All of Gouken's normal moves have been improved.
• Close Standing Hard Punch and Close Standing Hard Kick have more frame advantage.
• Close Standing Medium Kick has 3 frame start up start-up, so it'll be easier to compete against some of the other fighters.
• Neutral Jump Hard Punch and diagonal Jump Hard Kick have pursuit properties, and will slam opponents into the ground.
• Ranges on his normal moves haven't changed.
• Back grab has been changed to deal gray damage, so the combo damage from the grab has been decreased. (Translator's note: They're probably saying that the back grab deals 0 gray damage, so it'll get scaled as a combo as well.)

Special Moves
• In specials, Light Punch Running Palm (Senkugoshoha) has been drastically changed, so it will connect from weak attacks (Light Punch/Light Kick), and EX Hurricane Kick locks opponent, making it easier to combo.
• Recovery of the Demon Flip Focus has been significantly decreased, making it easier to utilize.
• Kongo (Counter) is changed as well. To be precise, it can only be activated now by using Punch buttons and the strength of the Punch changes where it sets up a counter hit at. Light for low attacks, Medium for middle attacks, and Hard for upper body attacks.

Other Stuff
• During backdash, Gouken is now considered airborne right after invincibility ends.

Overall
• His normal and special moves have been changed, and he will be able to do new things while retaining old tactics.
• As a result, his 'easiness' might have been changed, but you will be able to enjoy strategies different from Ryu and Akuma.

Rose

Super Move
• Her Super will no longer work when there is a Soul Spark in the screen. It is still possible to Cancel into Super from a Soul Spark, though.

Ultra 2
• Soul Satellite (Ultra 2) has been changed. For the sake of balance, its invincibility has been decreased (or erased).

Overall
Normals, her projectile, anti air and her basic tactics will stay, so basically, Soul Satellite is the only one that has really been changed.

Normal Moves
• There have been changes to her normal moves.
• Standing Light Kick has a 4 frame start-up, so it'll be easier to utilize as a weak attack.
• Standing Medium Kick got changed to have a 5 frame start-up so it's possible to use it as the starting point of combos.

Other Stuff
• A Crouching Hard Kick into Standing Hard Kick Target Combo was added.
• It works in the same way as the later part of her Target Combo 6, but it added in more strategies.
• Her Jump Flip (Tsuijigoe) would register as a counter hit when she was hit out of it, so this was fixed.

Overall
Some of the normal moves have been buffed, and some special moves nerfed, but her potential will be the same as she is now.
She will still be the same character when she is in control of the game, so it'll be fun to utilize her!

• Her Focus Attack is now easier for opponents to hit. Assumption on what this means: Chun-Li would step back when she started her Focus Attack animation, some moves would miss her because of this. It sounds like this will no longer be the case in Arcade Edition.

• Down-Toward + Light Kick comes out slower, more vulnerability. Can still combo after it if it hits an airborne opponent.

• No changes to her Special Moves.

El Fuerte

• Far Light Punch and Crouching Light Punch now have a 4 frame start up (these moves had a 5 frame start up in SSFIV), but also have additional active frames, making them easier to connect.

• Crouching Light Punch can now be Chain Canceled.

• More recovery on Quacamole Slew (Air Grab) on landing, which includes the EX version, making this easier to punish.

• Close Standing Medium Kick damage increased. This took off 70 life in SSF4.

• Close Standing Hard Kick has more frame advantage on hit and block. You can Link into a Shoryuken now with it.

• Decreased Crouching Medium Kick's active frames.

• Towards + Hard Punch (Dash Punch) damage decreased. This took off 120 life in SSF4.

• Jump arc nerfed on his Air Hurricane Kick. It's more difficult to run away with this, but crossups with it will be more ambiguous.

• EX Air Hurricane Kick will no longer miss last few hits.

Balrog

• Damage for Close Standing Medium Punch was decreased slightly. It now forces opponent to stand on hit, and is Special Cancelable. This move took off 80 life in SSF4.

• Far Standing Light Punch will now miss crouching opponents.

• Damage on Headbutt was decreased and it now has more recovery frames of animation, but recovery time is the same if it hits. Balrog's Headbutt took off 100/120/140/150 for the Light, Medium, Hard and EX versions in SSF4.

Special Moves
• Light Punch Shoryuken has 2 extra frames of recovery, but now does 120 damage. It did 100 damage in SSF4.
• EX Fireball can juggle twice in the air, so now you can get full juggle off a Light Punch Shoryuken into EX Fireball.
• EX Air Hurricane Kick can now be blocked high or low. Used to be that it had to be blocked high.

Other
• Is considered to be mid-air right after the invincibility frames of his backdash end.

Special Moves
• Less recovery time on EX Rolling Crystal Flash.
• You can now combo Crouching Medium Punch from an EX Rolling Crystal Flash.

Ultras
• His Ultra 2 has slightly more startup time.

Other
• Is considered to be mid-air right after the invincibility frames of his backdash end.

Rufus

Special Moves
• EX Messiah does less damage. It took off 100 damage in SSF4.

Ultras
• When Ultra 2 (Big Bang Typhoon) is used as an anti-air, it won't fully connect, so it does less damage in these scenarios now.

Other
Is considered to be mid-air right after the invincibility frames of his backdash end.

Fei Long

Normal Moves
• Close and Far Standing Light Punch have an extra frame of advantage, making it +6 now.
• Close Standing Medium Kick has a 4 frame startup.
• Additional frame advantage on many moves.

Specials
• Less recovery on EX Rekka on hit and on guard.
• No invincibility on his Hard Flying Kick (Chicken Wing).

Other
• Is considered to be mid-air right after the invincibility frames of his backdash end.
• Crouching Medium Kick still cannot be Canceled, earlier reports said this might happen.

Juri

Special Moves
• Her Fireball Kick (projectile) knocks the opponent higher up into the air. Now you can combo it into a Pinwheel Kick, for example.
• Less stun and damage on the kick part of the Fireball Kick.

Ultra
• No changes to Ultra 1, but because of the changes to the kick part of the Fireball Kick, it's easier to score knockdowns.

So far, I am very underwhelmed from these 4 additions. Basically we have two more dive kick characters that play semi-similiar to each other and two more shoto clones to go along with the regular shotos we always see online. I really wish they would have went with a more diverse character selection for AE or else I wish they would have focused more on making the current cast more viable, especially the more unique characters that currently suck such as: Gouken, Claw, Guy, El Fuerte and Hakan.

I don't like some of these gameplay tweaks. Characters like El Fuerte are already at a disadvantage because they have no projectile attacks. At least his second Ultra was easy to connect and did a good amount of damage.

"More startup frames on El Fuerte's Ultra 2 and the damage was also reduced. The size of the hitbox changes with movement (?), making it harder to hit overall."

Gee, thanks Capcom.

The one tweak I wanted to see: Make Vega's Izuna Drop easier to connect. It's impossible to execute that move in Super, but that wasn't the case in SFIV.